Wall switch



Sept, 23, 1924. @09,5%

'D. D. GORDON I WALL SWITCH Filed Aprn 15. 1921 v Patented 23, 1924o DWDD. GORDON, 0F CHCAGO, ILLINOS, ASSIGNDR TU MCGILL MANUFACTU COMPANY, FVALPARAISO, INDIANA.

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Application led April 15, 1921.

T 0 all whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that l, DAVID D. GORDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, Vin the county of Cook and State of illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Wall Switches, of whichthe following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification. A

y invention relates to electric switches and has to do more particularlywith electric switches of the wall type, that is switches of thecharacter which are adapted for mounting Hush with the wall face.

My invention is directed more to the provision ot' an improved andsimplified switch of the above character having certain features ofadvantage as will be more particularly pointed out in the ensuingspecification and appended claims.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawing in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly insection showing my improved switchy of the three-way type;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view 2 2 of F ig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a face view of Fig. 1 with plate removed;

Fig. 4 is a sectional 4 1 of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 5 is a view of abportion of Fig. 1 but with the switch mechanism'ina position alternate to that of Fig". 1 and with the operating lewerslightly od normal;

Fig. 6 .is a perspective view of the wall switch showing my new pendentpull arrangement, and 'y FigQl' is a modified form of my inventionshowing a one-way switch.

Referring now more in detail to the switch along the line shown in Figs.1 to 11, it comprises a mount! ing plate 10 which is of the usualstandard arrangement for mounting the same in the wall box. Extendingfrom the 'frame 10 is a pair of insulation frame plates 11-12, I

preferably similar in construction and secured to the mounting plate 10by lug portions 13--111` which extend through the plate and are up-setto securely hold the plates.

Mountedy upon the upper plate is a pair of contacts 15V-16 and a similarpair ot view along the line -the inner face of frame Serial No. 461,571.

contacts 17-18 are mounted upon the lower plate 12. These contacts arepreferably secured to the inner faces of the frame plates and havell-shaped portions extending through the trame plates and back alongaligning faces against which the contacts rest under tension in properposition to be engaged by the switch contact arm.

ln using the' switch as a three-way switch l preferably connect contactslr6-13 in common and to this end use a bracket member 19 having oneextension' 20 which is attached te the plate 11 by screws, one screw 21passing through the plate directly into the extension and the otherscrew 22 passing through the plate 11,- the fastening ear of contact 16,and the extension 20 so as to securely attach the bracket to the plate11, and also hold it in intimate electrical engagement with contact 16.The other leg'of bracket 19, that is portion 23, is secured to the frameplate 12 by means of a screw 2t which also `acts to clamp the contact 18between the strip 23 and frame 12. This bracket connectingI member has afurther extending portion 25 which is a continuation of the portion 23,the eXtension 25 having a terminal binding screw 'to which an incomingconductor is connected.

The other two contacts 15-1Z are connected to individual terminals,contact 15 being connected to a terminal 27 which eX- y tends along theinner face of the frame plate 11 and has an angularly disposed eX-tension 28 which serves as a terminal connector for Contact 15. rllheoppositelcontact, that is 17,' is similarly connected to a terminalhaving a portion 29 extending alone' plate 1e and with an angularlydisposed terminal 30.

lt will thus be seen that l have provided a unitary switch, contact andterminal structure carried by the tace and frame plates.

.ln order to' protect the device l have'provided an enclosure in theform et a porce lain box or cover 31 having four slots 32, 33, 3.4i, 35(Fig. 2) adapted to slidingly receive the frame plates 11-12. Thus thecover 31 may be readily placed over the rear end of the switch structureto insulatingly enclose the l'same with its extending screw terminals.The face edge of the cover 31 is recessed in order to receive theterminals 28, 30 and 25 which set lback from the' way but not tocooperate with my improved trame construction. This switch mechanismincludes a frame 39 on which is seated a universally tiltable lever 40which may also be drawn straight out away from the switch and connectedby means of a link 41 to a U-shaped link 42 which carries a pawl member43 having alternate pivot positions in that it may pivot upon thealternateframe points 44-45 when the pull member 42 is actuated. Thispawl member 43 is connected to the U-shaped contact arm 46.

The contact army is pivotally supported upon insulation bushings 47-48carried by small lugs which extend laterally from the frame sides. Aninsulating yoke 49 is passed over the frame and positioned between thelegs of the contact arm and the trame 3./ so as to insulatingly separatethem. The contact arm is connected with the pawl member 43 by means of aspring 50 which is insulatingly secured at one end to the contact arm 46and at the other end to a hook in the yokeof the pawl 43.

The contact arm 46 has alternate positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 5,resting in each position against a stop lug 51 or 52 (Fig. 7)

which is cast in the corner of the cover 31 and having a stop facesubstantially flush with the inner face of the insulation mountingplates 11-12.

These lug stops 51--52 are not essential in connection with thethree-way switch ot Figs. 1 to 5, but are provided so as to make aninterchangeable one and three-way switch.- That is when the switch isused as a one-way switch as shown in Fig. 7, one ot the frame plates 11and its contacts are lett oli in which case the contact arm, when movedto the non-contact position, which is the upper one in Fig. 7, abuts thestop lug 51. The frame plates 11-12 are therefore notched at their outeredges so as to clear the stops 51 or 52. Of course, it is not essentialthat two lug stops 51 52 need be provided but I do this sothat the cover31 may be used interchangeably with either type of switch and also maybe balanced in that both plates 11-12 are notched so as to use the sameplate for both sides of the switch instead of making two types ofplates.

In the operation of the switch mechanism and assuming that it is in theposition shown in Fig. 1, upon tilting the universal lever 40 or pullingit straight out the pull member 42 is drawn toward the left therebypivoting the pawl 43 on its upper hook at pivot point 44, thus movingthe spring connected end of the pawl upwardly so as tol move the springbeyond the dead center and thereby shift the contact arm 46 to itsalternate position as shown in Fig. 5 by snap action. Upon releasinglever 40 it is returned to its seat thereby allowing the pawl to assumeits alternate position as indicated in Fig. 5. In this ligure the lever40 is shown in a slightly tilted position.

Another actuation of lever 40 now ivots the pawl 43 upon its lower pivotpoint 45 thereby shifting the spring to its alternate position beyondthe dead center so as to effeet a snap action operation of the switcharm and return it to its other position, that indicated in Fig. l.

Thus successive actuations of the actuating member 40 will effectsuccessive actuations of the switch mechanism thereby moving the contactarm from one position to another. Also due to the universal operation ofthe actuating member 40, the switch may be placed in various positionssuch as either low down on the wall where the lever may be directlygrasped by the operator. higher up on the wall where it may be pulled byan actuating chain 55 of the desired length; or upon the ceiling orother directly inaccessible position.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of my improved wall switch having a pendentpull arrangement attached to the operating lever. thus providing a veryneat and etfective operating arrangement, pleasing in design and new sofar as I am aware. The lever 40 has a flexible connection 55 preferablyin the form of a ball chain which is heldin the lever by means of aspring hook-shaped clip 56 as shown in Fig. 1, held in position hy aset-screw 57 threaded through the side wall of the lever. Thisconnection 55 is inserted into an opening in the upper end of the pulloperating member 58 and held therein by means of a set-screw 59. Thepull operating mechanism thus hangs free of the wall plate 60 and by theuse of the universal operating lever 40 the switch may be mounted in anyposition, vertical or horizontal. and the pull member operated bypulling sideways in any direction or straight out. rlhe exposed partssuch as the plate 60, lever 40. chain 55 and handle 58 maybe finished asdesired such as by plating, painting or otherwise. V

The handle member 58 is shown in the form of a cast metal tassel(although of course other designs may be used) which gives a vervattractive appearance to the switch and by ditl'erent. finishes makes itdesirable for highclass interior work. -Also by means of the dependingpull arrangef ment the device may be readily grasped 'and easilyoperated.v v

What I claim as newV and desire lto secure by United States LettersPatent is:

' l. In an electric wall switch, a mounting 2. In an electric wallswitchya mounting' plate, a pair ofI spaced insulation -frame platesextending therefrom, a switch mounted upon one of said frame platesbetween the pair includinga contact arm having alternate positionscorresponding to the frame plates and having an operating memberextending from the face ofthe mounting plate,

and cooperating stationary contacts carried by the frame plates foralternate engagement with the contact arm.

3. In an electricwall switch, a plate, a pair of insulation frameplates' extending therefrom, a switch mounted yupon one of' said frameplates between the pair including a contact arm 'having alternatepositions corresponding to the frame plates and having an operatingmember extending from the 'face of the mounting plate, cof operatingstationary contacts carried by the frame plates for alternate engagementwith the contact arm, and a supporting bracket connecting said frame,plates and also a pair ofcontacts one from each frame late.

4. In an electric wall switch, a ramecom prising va mounting plate. twocontact supporting insulation plates extending therefrom in arallelrelation, and a supporting spacing `racket connecting the insulationplates and serving as a connector between contacts on thef plates.'

5. In an electrical wall switch, a frame comprising a mounting with amechanism and contact supportin plate depending, therefrom, and a coverox having grooves in the insides of opposite'walls to receive theli'ihintingl means for throwing said switch from one extreme position'to the other, to,

edges of the supporting plate to hold the cover in place on the frame.

6. In an'electrical wall switch, a face mounting plate, a framepermanently secured thereto and extendingw rearwardly therefrom havingopposed 'contact sets, a switch mechanismhavi-ng a swingable contact armwith a contact end movable laterally between said opposed contact sets,and terminal connectors extendin from the contact sets toward the faceof t e switch.

'7. In an 'electrical wall switch, a face mounting plate and frameextending rear- -wardly having opposed sets of two contacts each, meansfor connecting one contactof eachsettogether in common, and a switchmechanism having a laterally reciprocable contact arm with a contact endmovable to connect the two contacts of one or the other of the contactsets together.

8. In an electricalwall switch, a frame including a face mounting plateand rearwardly extending mounting plate, a switch mechanism having acontact arm and cooperating contacts mounted upon one side of the-latter mounting plate, said contacts being positioned at the rear endof the mounting plate, and terminal connector strips se'- cured to thecontacts' 'and extending forwith screw terminals positioned parallel to-wardly over the edge of the mounting plate and immediately back ofthe:face mounting plate.

9. In an electricswitch, the combination with a frame provided witharms, and iixed terminals, of a swin il'ig, double-throw switch membercooperating with said .fixed terminals and pivoted-to said arms, springmember gether with shoulders on the :frame to limit the movements of theswitch member in both directions, an actuating device mounted foruniversal swinging movement 'in said frame and operative connectionsbetween the actuating device and saidy switch member.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of Mar.A. D., 1921.

DAVID D. GORDON.

